The present invention relates to a device for the conditioning of a liquid in a liquid treatment system, in particular a device for conditioning of liquid in a liquid treatment system where the device fits at least partially within a treatment tank.
Conventional liquid treatment devices, such as water softeners, are typically used in conjunction with a liquid reservoir, such as a water treatment tank. A resin bed is used to treat the incoming raw water to obtain soft water. This resin bed requires periodic flushing and regeneration to remove sediment and chemically recharge the bed. Typically, in a process known as eduction, a brine solution is passed over the resin bed to chemically recharge the resin. Often, eduction is preceded by a backwash step, in which the flow of incoming water is reversed to remove sediment which has been separated from the water during the conditioning operation and which may interfere with the softening operation. In these instances, the systems are known as xe2x80x9cfive cyclexe2x80x9d systems, wherein regeneration involves a backwash step, a brine rinse, a slow rinse, a fast rinse, and a refilling of the brine tank. A typical softening system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,466, which is incorporated by reference.
As is well known in the art, water conditioners, such as water softeners, are provided with various mechanisms for initiating regeneration. Some of such mechanisms are clock-operated, and are triggered to begin at a time of day, while others are triggered by a threshold volume of treated water. Still other mechanisms trigger regeneration by monitoring the condition of the resin in the resin bed.
Conventional water conditioners are also typically provided with valves for controlling the flow of water from a brine reservoir to the incoming raw water, from the raw water inlet to the raw water outlet, from the tank to a manifold, from the manifold to the tank, and from the manifold to the soft water outlet.
A main drawback of conventional water conditioner control valves, however, is that they are affixed to an external part of the liquid treatment tank. Because the valve is affixed externally to the tank, the combined size of the valve and tank becomes a necessary consideration when calculating the space required to house the liquid treatment system. The size of the apparatus becomes an impediment because the storage space reserved for a liquid treatment system is typically fixed, and is typically optimized to consume the least possible space. On the other hand, the size of the tank is optimized to be as large as the space will permit, allowing larger volumes of liquid to be conditioned. Because the size of the apparatus must be accounted for when determining the size of this space, it ultimately restricts the size of the tank.
Another drawback of conventional water conditioners is that the conventional configuration is susceptible to leaking. An externally affixed water conditioner valve is surrounded by ambient air pressure, whereas the liquid coursing within the valve exerts a liquid pressure. If this pressure differential is not constantly balanced, the valve can rupture and leak into the surrounding environment, such as a floor in a home, office, or other building. Also, to combat this pressure differential, thicker, sturdier, and more rigid constituent valve material is required. In addition to increasing expense, the need to utilize such materials restricts the configuration of the valve and the manner in which it is connected to the tank.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid treatment system having a liquid conditioner control valve which fits at least partially within a treatment tank.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid treatment system having a liquid conditioner control valve which optimizes use of limited space.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid treatment system having a liquid conditioner control valve where the external portions of liquid conditioner control valve chambers are at least partially subject to the same liquid pressure as internal portions of liquid conditioner control valve chambers.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid treatment system having a liquid conditioner control valve constructed from a wide variety of materials.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid treatment system having a liquid conditioner control valve wherein leaks caused by ruptured valve chambers are reduced or eliminated.
Still a further object of the present invention is to prove an improved liquid treatment system having a liquid conditioner control valve wherein leaks are localized and contained within an associated tank.
The above-listed objects are met or exceeded by the present in-tank water conditioner valve, which features a water conditioner valve having a working portion disposed at least partially within a tank in a liquid conditioning system. Thus, the vertical overhead space required for the system is reduced, allowing for the use of taller and larger tanks, which both permits optimization of limited space and maximization the volume of liquid conditioned. In addition, the working portion includes first and second valve chambers having respective main and supplemental pistons. Since the first and second valve chambers of the working portion are at least partially disposed within the tank of the liquid conditioning system, there is an inherent balance in the internal pressure exerted on these chambers by the liquid coursing within them and the external pressure exerted on these chambers by the surrounding liquid. Therefore, component parts require less durability than ordinarily required to withstand pressure differentials. Another feature of the invention is that because the working portion is located at least partially within the tank, the leaks that do occur will drain into the tank rather than into the external environment.
More specifically, the present invention provides a water conditioner valve configured for use with a tank in a water conditioning system, including a main housing and a working portion disposed within the main housing. At least a portion of the working portion is mounted within the tank.